Raising Cane’s plans to open in Berkeley with $12M building purchase

(KRON) — Raising Cane’s is putting its money where its mouth is to open a new location in the East Bay.

The popular fast food chain has purchased a building in Berkeley with plans to open there in the “next few years,” a Raising Cane’s representative told KRON4. The property is located at 2310 Telegraph Ave., right off the southern part of UC Berkeley’s campus.

Raising Cane’s purchased the building for $12.7 million, according to Alameda County public records filed on Feb. 21. The space encompasses multiple units across more than 10,000 square feet with Walgreens as its anchor tenant. Located on Bancroft and Telegraph, the property also includes a space that was previously occupied by Subway.

Whelan’s Smoke Shop is another business that is part of the building. Starting on Feb. 21, the shop has 60 days to vacate the space as the business accepted a buyout, real estate company Levin Johnston’s Senior Managing Director Robert Johnston told KRON4. Johnston handled the sale of the Raising Cane’s’ eight-figure transaction.

Raising Cane’s plans to use that vacant space left by the smoke shop to open its restaurant as part of its upcoming Berkeley location, Johnston said.

Although not set in stone, Johnston said all signs point towards Walgreens finishing out its lease that ends in 2036. According to Johnston, Walgreens was offered a buyout to leave the space but declined.

KRON4 reached out to Walgreens for comment about its plans amidst Raising Cane’s building purchase. We did not hear back in time for publication.

Back in 2022, Raising Cane’s was supposed to open in Berkeley on 2580 Bancroft Way, but those plans were later nixed, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The outlet reports that “Raising Cane’s (was) actively looking for another Berkeley site that is a better fit.”

There are currently five Raising Cane’s in the Bay Area: Oakland, Hayward, Colma, Vacaville and Fairfield. A restaurant is set to open in San Jose on April 1.

Raising Cane’s was founded in Louisiana in 1996 — known for its signature chicken fingers. There are more than 800 Raising Cane’s across more than 40 states in the United States.

​(KRON) — Raising Cane’s is putting its money where its mouth is to open a new location in the East Bay. The popular fast food chain has purchased a building in Berkeley with plans to open there in the “next few years,” a Raising Cane’s representative told KRON4. The property is located at 2310 Telegraph […]